1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to training devices used to train a person in the proper movement of their pitching arm when pitching a ball or other projectile with an underhand pitch.
2. Prior Art Statement
There are several sports where a pitcher pitches an object underhand. Two of the most popular sports that use underhand pitching include softball and horseshoes. Other sports that use underhand pitching motions include bowling, curling and bocce. With all of these activities, a common underhand arm motion is used. Furthermore, as with all physical activity, the more a person practices and trains, the better that person becomes in performing that activity.
In order to manually throw, toss or roll any object accurately, a person must be able to consistently control the direction of the object before that object is released from the hand. With most all of the activities previously mentioned, it is desired that the object being thrown, tossed or rolled is done so, straight. If the object being thrown, tossed or rolled is consistently straight, a person can then master both control and accuracy.
When throwing, tossing or rolling an object underhand, the arm grasping that object rotates about the shoulder. In order to throw, toss or roll an object consistently straight, the arm should rotate about the shoulder only in the vertical plane. If the arm is rotating only in the vertical plane, the object will initially travel in that same plane when released. Any deviation from this path would only be caused by the spin and aerodynamics of the object, not from its initial direction when released. Accordingly, in order to better train people to accurately throw, toss or roll objects underhand, a person must practice moving their arm only in the vertical plane prior to releasing the thrown, tossed or rolled object.
In the prior art, there are many different types of training devices for many different types of sports. Some of these training devices are intended for people who throw, toss or roll objects underhand. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,255 to Verbick, entitled Practice Device For Bowling And Other Sports, a training machine is shown for helping a bowler train. The training machine uses a rail that is arranged in the vertical plane. A person using the training machine moves a weight along the rail. As such, the training machine strengthens the muscles used to roll a bowling ball and helps create muscle memory so that the bowler will only move their arm in the vertical plane when swinging the bowling ball.
However, training devices such as that shown in the Verbick patent are expensive and they cannot be used when actually bowling, which is where, when and how most bowlers train. Furthermore, the rail used in the Verbick patent does not create a complete circle. As such, the training machine of the Verbick patent cannot be used to train softball pitchers that move their arms through full circular rotations.
Training devices for softball pitchers are limited in the prior art record. Most training devices for softball pitching involve little more than a target at which a pitch is to be aimed. Other devices provide tethered balls that enable a pitcher to pitch a softball and quickly get that softball back. Such prior art softball pitching training devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,598 to Finch, entitled, Exerciser For Softball Pitchers. However, as can be seen, such devices do not prevent a softball pitcher from moving their arm outside of the vertical plan when pitching.
A need therefore exists for a training device that can be used by any person who throws, tosses or rolls an object with an underhand motion, wherein that training device helps a person maintain their arm in the vertical plane, and can be used while a person is actually throwing, tossing or rolling that object. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.